Two Summer Commencements Slated at Duquesne University

August 1, 2013

The Rangos School of Health Sciences at Duquesne University will host its annual summer Commencement ceremony on Friday, Aug. 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the A.J. Palumbo Center.

Dr. Rory A. Cooper, the FISA & Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Chair and a Distinguished Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh, will deliver the commencement address.

Cooper is the founding director and a senior research career scientist of the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Center of Excellence. He is the co-director of the NSF Quality of Life Technology Engineering Research Center, and he holds a secondary appointment as a professor in the Departments of Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Timothy R. Austin, Duquesne provost and vice president for academic affairs, will confer the degrees.

In addition, Elizabet Dennehy Rodriguez, founder and president of Rodriguez & Associates, will address the graduates at the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement's (SLPA) Commencement on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 1:30 p.m. in the A.J. Palumbo Center.

Rodriguez, who is an adjunct faculty member for SLPA, heads her strategic consulting firm which specializes in a customized approach regarding women's advancement in organizations. She and her executive team develop and implement women's initiatives, leadership programs for women and strategies on how to enhance female contributions in the workplace.

The author of Can You Afford to Ignore Me? How to Manage Gender and Cultural Differences at Work, Rodriguez also serves as lead faculty for the Women's Executive Leadership Program at Duquesne.

Austin will confer degrees at the SLPA Commencement ceremony.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and tradition of academic excellence. Duquesne, a campus of nearly 9,500 graduate and undergraduate students, has been nationally recognized for its academic programs, community service and commitment to sustainability. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.www.duq.edu